With cricket, however, the English's preeminence in its beloved national sport compared with its Teutonic cousins was rather assured – for now.

That may change in the future as an influx of asylum seekers into Germany from countries including cricket-enthusiast nations Pakistan and Afghanistan has created an unexpected surge in popularity for the sport.

In a country where football has long ruled supreme, cricket now appears to be on the rise after the German Cricket Federation (DCB) was swamped by enquiries from people asking where they can play it.

The DCB's chief executive officer Brian Mantle said they have been flooded with queries through their website over setting up new clubs across the country, pointing new arrivals to their local team and supplying equipment.

When Englishman Mr Mantle, 44, took over in 2012, he said there were around 1,500 cricketers in Germany playing in 70 teams, which has since risen to 4,000 registered cricketers playing in 205 teams.

"We've been getting up to five enquiries per day from groups wanting to set up new clubs,” Mr Mantle told news agency AFP.

We've been getting up to five enquiries per day from groups wanting to set up new clubsBrian Mantle

"Often it's from social workers, who had never even heard of cricket before groups of refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan started asking where they could play it.

"They had been offered volleyball or football, but most just want to play cricket."

Mr Mantle said cricket is a good way to help refugees settle into their new country.

"The biggest problem is getting refugees to speak German, but this is a good way to integrate them through the sport they know," he said.

"At the moment, our national Under-19 team is half made up of Afghans, who have qualified here through residency and that number will grow.

"It can only raise the playing standards here and in years to come, we could follow the likes of Ireland and Afghanistan, who are knocking on the door of Test-level cricket.” Of the 476,649 people who applied for asylum in Germany last year, 31,902 came from Afghanistan alone, while a further 8,472 came from Pakistan.

Refugees from Afghanistan take part in a training session in EssenCredit:
SASCHA SCHURMANN/AFP

Refugee Arifullah Jamal, 21, said cricket helped him adapt to life in Germany, having fled Afghanistan as a teenager with his younger brother in late 2009 to seek asylum.

After ending up in a youth hostel in western Germany with his brother, he said he found it difficult making friends and learning German.

"The people in the home didn't know about cricket, but eventually they asked around and that was when Brian (Mantle) came to us and we played cricket again," he told AFP.

The fast bowler is now captain of the Essen-based Altendorf 09 Blue Tigers, a team made up of refugees who play in a regional league.

Mr Jamal balances studying for his Abitur, Germany's pre-university entrance certificate, with helping newly-arrived asylum seekers translate letters and prepare documents, after he missed three years of schooling while he learnt German.

Last year, Mr Jamal won an award for his work in helping refugees and promoting cricket in Essen.

"I know from experience how much sport can help people integrate. When we were in the youth hostel, we had nothing. No friends and nothing to do. You don't speak the language and feel lost," he said.

"It was so good to get out of the room and play cricket. Otherwise you sit in your room and feel depressed."